1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to keyboard operation on a computer system, specifically, an addition to the erase function.
2. Description of Prior Art
Computers and word processors are more and more prevalent in offices and homes. There are many opportunities to use these remarkable machines, but access to their power is limited by one's skill at operating the keyboard. Indeed, it is often necessary to take arduous, time consuming training to acquire the skill to operate keyboards well. In extreme cases, bosses in offices discourage their higher employees from using these outstanding machines and ask them to employ a specialist as a keyboard operator.
According to an article published by the leading Japanese financial newspaper, Nikkei, on Nov. 8, 1989, an outstanding telecommunication company, NTT, conducted a survey of 500 men working for prominent companies in Tokyo. They found that less than 15% of all male employees can operate keyboards well, while others suffer from "keyboard allergy". There is no available method that helps everyone operate keyboards with ease.
In an article published in PC Magazine on Mar. 15, 1988, Stephen Manes states that poorly designed keyboards cause frustration and irritation. In the wrong hands, even well designed keyboards lead to painful and disabling injuries. He describes IBM's Enchanted Keyboard, the one that arrived as an "improvement" with late-model ATs and the only one you can get with the PS/2 line with the Model 25. (IBM, AT, PS/2, and Model 25 are registered trademarks of IBM.) He explains that this keyboard causes even more annoyance than original, and he maintains that we're addressing mere frustration. Pain is more serious, and many users suffer from it. People's hands hurt during long days in front of keyboards--and continue to hurt after their day is done. The problem appears to be growing. He concludes that deviation from a straight-wristed typing position--which happens every time most users reach for function or arrow keys--can intensify the problem and stress the nerves of the hand. Further, he explains that a victim he knows has pains in his hand which he traces to the extra motion required to reach over to the cursor keys. He expresses a hope that somebody will come to the rescue and take the problem seriously enough to make a dedicated effort to quantify and solve it. Even the current improved standard keyboards locate cursor movement keys (the backspace key and arrows keys) too far from the normal wrist position. They are on the keyboards at the far right hand side on the keyboard. That seems to be one of problems that leads to pain and frustration.
Why do most people need extensive, arduous training to operate keyboards well? To begin with, even if beginners can successfully remember all key locations and become accustomed to the key operations, they must still go through the following, strenuous, demanding process when they make a mistake: i) move their eyes from the screen to the keyboard. ii) look for an erase key on the keyboard (these keys, backspace or cursor left keys, are located on the far right hand side of the standard keyboard.). iii) the wrist must move from the normal position since these keys are located beyond the reach of the normal position. iv) press the erase key. v) return their eyes to the screen. vi) assure themselves that the cursor, a bar of light that indicates position on the display screen, has moved one space back and has erased the character that was there. vii) make sure the wrist of the right hand has returned to proper position. Finally, they can press the correct key. Many times there will be another error made in completing these steps and some or all of this process will have to be repeated. Furthermore, if they make 5 mistakes a line and there are 25 lines a screen, then there are 5 mistakes.times.25 lines or 125 mistakes. So there are 125 mistakes.times.7 steps or over 875 extra steps that geginner operators will make in a screenful of work. Before they have finished, they not only tire of operating the keyboard but also feel frustration in the creation of their documents. They also might feel eye strain because of frequent up-down eye movement and because of color changes between the screen and the keyboard.
The current standard keyboard operation systems known such as IBM PC; (a registered trademark of IBM) or JIS, Japanese Industrial Standard, suffer from a number of disadvantages:
(a) Operators can use only two keys--the backspace key, which erases the previous character, or the cursor left key which moves the cursor back and allows a type-over to erase a mistyped character.
(b) To try to move the cursor back, beginner keyboard operators usually cannot reach the backspace or the cursor left key without lifting their hands from the keys. This is because these keys are located far from the center of the keyboard. People often press a wrong key when trying to strike the backspace key and compound their error.
(c) Most beginners must search visually for the backspace key. This is because its position on the far right of the keyboard and fourth row from the bottom is remote from the normal hand position on the keys.
(d) Because of the location of the backspace key and the cursor left key, keyboard operators are required to stretch their normal wrist position. There is a tendency for them to harm their fingers because of this stretch.
(e) Beginners cannot keep their eyes on the keyboard for long periods because they frequently type errors and then have to look for the backspace key. This hinders the development of skills.
(f) With current systems, when poor users guess at the location of an intended key and make a mistake, they can correct the mistake only with the difficult procedures mentioned above. They are therefore normally required to practice for a long time and may require the help of a typing tutor to acquire usable skills.
(g) Current systems, which are designed for experts, are very hard for the beginner to use. People who have no formal training often feel frustrated and helpless.
(h) A special keyboard designed to ease injury on left hand fingers is known, but this solution requires replacement of current keyboards.
(i) Beginners must often take separate typing lessons before effectively creating documents.
(j) Currently almost all famous word processing programs are solely word processing programs. They do not provide any typing help for beginners within the programs.
(k) Unskilled typists must practice typing for long periods at the keyboard with or without a typing tutor. They often feel frustrated or get tired too quickly to complete documents or effectively operate computers or word processors.
(l) Current systems require following many instructions to master typing skills.
(m) We can not replace the countless currently used keyboards with new ones that have a new key arrangement because of the prohibitive cost.
(n) With the current system users can move the cursor more than one space back only by continuous pressing of only two keys, namely the backspace key or the cursor left key.
(o) Certain keys are very difficult to reach without looking at them. A lot of experience is necessary to hit these keys accurately.